At Dusk
by pengooin
Summary: Roxas lived in another fake version of Twilight Town within Sora's heart where the only inhabitants were himself and Xion. Sora released his heart's inhabitants, but Roxas has forgotten everything that happened to him while he resided in Sora's heart. He's spent three years in the real word but even with a heart, he still feels a hollow in his chest...Xion/Roxas.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: At Dusk**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Xion**

 **Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Kingdom Hearts. Any lyrics I would normally put in the story itself will be listed as a title and artist in the Author's Notes for purposes of legality, etc etc. You guys get the drift.**

 **Author's notes: I've been on hiatus ever since I got this job, and for that I apologize. Sometimes I do have a life and I did say I do this stuff for fun right? Unfortunately, I just happen to find video games** ** _more_** **fun in my spare time.**

 **I would like to thank Milxaliw for offering his help as my new beta! *cookie avalanche* His suggestions regarding setting and flashbacks have already been very useful to me in writing this.**

 **I will post any and all lemons (sex scenes) to my other account on a different website for purpose of FF rules. I will provide further instruction and warning when/if I decide to write them.**

 **Normally I do boyxboy and for that I suggest you take a look at my first (now complete) fanfiction titled "Seeking Promise" or my other fanfiction in the works I've decided to call "Arm's Length". I will be working on that alongside this one. If you seek yaoi goodness, you've clicked the wrong link in this case. Axel might make an appearance, but he will not be the star of the show.**

 **As you may have read in a previous note in "Seeking Promise", Xion is very near and dear to my heart, so writing this will hit close to home for me. But, that is why I want to write it.**

 **I dedicate this to my journey forward, mourning the person I was and stepping forward to become who I was meant to be. Xion and I were forgotten, but I hope she finds herself again like I did.**

* * *

The day began like any other. It was Friday morning, and the sun was just beginning to paint Twilight Town a beautiful, hazy orange color at six in the morning. The birds began to warble just outside Roxas' open window and he hardly noticed, being totally asleep.

By his bedside sat a small nightstand on which he kept his phone on charge, a notebook, and his fish-themed lamp. At night the lamp cast fish-shaped shadows on the walls in shades of blue. The lamp was off now, but his phone, unfortunately, was not. The loud cawing of a rooster erupted from it with a ferocity that sent Roxas tumbling out of bed, wrapped in a cocoon of covers. The disturbance sent the bluebirds sitting on his window sill flying in all directions.

"Shiiiitt," Roxas mumbled groggily and sat up. He pressed his palm to his head and ran his fingers through his marigold spikes. Even after a long night of tossing and turning, the front of his hair always spiked skyward. He didn't much like it, but he was too lazy to attempt a fix anymore.

"Six am.." Roxas mused while his thoughts drifted back to his recurring dreams. He could never recall them accurately and it frustrated him to no end. All he ever remembered was a voice: a girl's voice, and although it was unfamiliar to him, it made him feel happy.

A blush spread over his cheeks and he chuckled to himself. The only problem was that the girls at school never talked to him.

He tried to imagine what her face looked like many times. In dreams it was as clear as day, but that all faded to a blur every morning when he awoke. Not knowing his 'mystery girl' didn't keep him from thinking of her and pretending to be with her on his lonelier nights, while he watched the fish on his walls swim in and out of his murky thoughts.

Roxas sighed and looked at the notebook collecting dust on his nightstand. He always hoped to write down things he remembered from the dreams, but nothing ever stuck long enough to pin down. All he had written on the first page was about the sad, sweet voice he heard reverberating in his head when he woke up, and that it only ever said his name over and over again.

He made his way downstairs and took a shower.

It had been three years since Sora released Roxas from his heart. At the same time, Roxas was finally released from the shackles of being Sora's nobody. He used to be an empty shell with no heart, and though he didn't feel any different now than before, he knew for sure that there was a heart beating in his chest. The circumstances of his release and Sora's whereabouts were lost to him, and he searched everywhere for his best friend Axel, but couldn't find him.

It was almost as if the whole thing was a passing dream and never happened, just like that girl...

Roxas got dressed and ate breakfast hurriedly before darting out the door for school.

He had parents now, a few close friends, and went to school like any normal teenager. There was no danger and no heartless to be seen. His keyblade never materialized anymore either. He took that as a sign that the worlds were now at peace.

He had just turned eighteen, and would soon graduate high school and enroll in a nearby university.

Everything was as it should be.

Roxas found himself in the schoolyard of Twilight High School before he realized he'd been walking for fifteen minutes. His feet instinctively knew all the streets and crosswalks he took to school.

He made his way over to the benches where he waited for the bell to ring every morning with his friends.

He couldn't help but notice he slight difference in Olette's behavior and the way she played with the hem of her skirt as he approached the trio.

"Hey man! Sup?" Hayner waved with two fingers from where he sat on the bench next to Pence, who was too preoccupied with his morning Krispy Kreme doughnut to say hello.

"Sup." Roxas grinned and sat down on the bench next to Olette.

Olette beamed up at him, "Hey Roxas."

Roxas opened his mouth to speak to Olette when Hayner interrupted them again.

"You still wanna go to the fair this weekend? We were gonna go as a group and get some of those big pretzels."

Roxas frowned a little in thought, then smiled sheepishly at the three of them, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

Hayner's brow creased in sudden frustration. His friend was quick to a hot temper, but Roxas paid him no mind because he knew it was all a front to look like a tough guy. In terms of brute strength, Roxas was really the stronger one and proved it during the town's annual "Struggle" match.

"You make other plans?"

Roxas shook his head, "Nah man, I'm still coming."

"Right on!" Hayner pumped his fist in the air. Normally, they'd bump forearms but being a couple of seats apart, Roxas just mimicked his movement.

"So, about that geography test today..." Olette cut in warningly. The shoulders of her friends immediately slumped.

She responded by shrugging, "Sorry guys, we just don't have much time to study. Remember last time, Roxas and Hayner both failed miserably and they made you do remedial study over the weekend before they let you take it again."

Hayner groaned audibly, "You really know how to ruin the mood, y'know?"

Pence spoke up for the first time since Roxas arrived, "Why can't chu act like one of those girls on TV?" Bits of pastry flew from his mouth as he spoke with a mouth full of doughnut.

"You mean those girls from the Playboy channels we always catch you watching?" Roxas added cheekily, to which the four of them laughed.

Olette blushed, but laughed it off and at her persistence, they studied until the bell rang for classes to start.

The day dragged on at a sluggish pace, but thanks to their study session, Roxas was sure he passed his geography test with flying colors.

After school the four friends met up again at the usual spot to discuss how they did on the test and to make plans for the fair the following day.

"We meet under the ferris wheel at seven. Got that?"

"...Roxas?"

"Huh?" He blinked up at a concerned Olette, then shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped back to distance her face from his.

"Right, I got it."

"I dunno Roxas, you don't look so good. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he waved her off. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure.." Pence nodded.

They said their goodbyes and parted ways for the walk home. Twilight Town was very small, and although they lived within walking distance of one another, the four lived in separate subdivisions.

On his way home, it started to rain in sheets, and Roxas had to duck under the awning of a nearby shop to keep from getting soaked.

He sighed, "What gives, the sun was out just a few minutes ago."

The rain seemed to come out of nowhere, leaving Roxas with the choice of either waiting it out in hopes of a short shower, or braving the rain and running home.

He sat down at one of the outdoor tables and cradled his head in his hands, trying to gather his thoughts.

 _Where did I think I could go? What a joke._

A chill ran down his spine. Every time he started to think about the past, he felt something hollow out in his chest. He remembered all too well how it _felt_ to be completely helpless and stripped of his identity.

 _Best friends are supposed to be honest with each other! Who am I, Axel?_

 _Finding out the truth doesn't always work out for the best!_

 _I hardly know who I am! What is so wrong with wanting some answers?!_

The tears welled up and crawled down his cheeks. Thankfully, the rain was a good excuse in case anyone were to ask.

He loved Pence, Olette, and Hayner. But they would never quite understand what he'd really been through, the struggles he'd faced in comparison to their normal lives in Twilight Town.

Everything was as it should be, but nothing would ever be the same now.

 _You'll forget me, but the memories themselves will never go away._

Roxas stood up suddenly and stumbled backwards over his chair, falling towards the ground.

But a pair of arms slid under his own from behind and caught him before he could hit.

He wheeled around to thank them, when his cobalt eyes met their match.

"Roxas?"

* * *

 **Flashback quotes from the series will appear here and there (as you just read), but I do not own the quotes or the franchise they come from. The big fans will recognize them. If you don't, that's okay too. However, if you don't know what a nobody is, etc. just PM me or Google it. It's hard to explain and I don't have time to do that within the confines of a story like this.**

 **I'll try to upload chapters for this at the same time as "Arm's Length", just to be fair to those who like one story over the other and whatnot. As always, thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: At Dusk**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Xion, Roxas/Olette**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Nor do I wish to at the moment. That would make me angry at myself for not telling myself about the big mystery that is KH3.**

 **Author's notes: I STILL EXIST!**

* * *

Roxas found himself staring into what appeared to be his own eyes. They were just a smidge darker, with a slight purple tint to them. But, they were the same cold blue eyes with his certain sadness within. The rain sheeted all around them, emptying the streets of life and color aside from their lighthouse eyes in the midst of a bleak skylight.

"Roxas?"

The tinkling voice, nearly inaudible over the rain, hit him like a freight train. It was soft and sweet; an exact match to the one he'd heard over and over on countless nights. He half-wondered if he was still sleeping.

 _Must be dreaming again. This time I have to remember her. I have to detail this so I remember her when I wake._

For the first time, he looked the young girl up and down earnestly. She had short, black hair that was just beginning to reach her shoulders, with bangs swept to the side nearly covering one of her eyes. She was wearing a long black cloak and boots, an oddity in the summer but-

 _Wait-_

Roxas nearly slammed into the girl as he grasped her collar, still looking her up and down.

He couldn't help noticing her thin and wispy body dangling helplessly in his grasp. She was very soft...

He blushed, slightly disoriented in his inquiry, "Are you from Organization XIII? How did you know my name?"

For a moment, she seemed confused and flustered. Then, her face slowly fell to disappointment.

"Yes...I used to be. Roxas...you still don't remember me, do you?"

He scrutinized her one last time, then shook his head slowly. He let his hands fall back down to his sides.

She sighed, "It's okay. I didn't know if you'd forgotten me for good...Now I know."

The girl chuckled and smiled a little halfheartedly. Roxas felt as though he might cry, but he couldn't for his life figure out why. He had dreams about this girl's voice, but it wasn't like he actually knew her in life; and it wasn't as if he could just tell her about the dreams. He didn't want to look like some kind of stalker.

She did seem to know him from somewhere though.

 _Maybe she's mistaken me for someone else?_

"Nice to meet you again Roxas. I'm Xion."

Roxas smiled and waved shyly, "Yeah...Nice to meet you.."

A comfortable silence followed before Roxas thought to ask her a burning question, "Do you know somebody named Axel? Have you seen him?"

Xion's eyes lit up immediately, "Axel! Yes, of course! He's my best friend!"

"Really? Mine too!"

She nodded quickly, her hair bristling wildly with the movement.

"I've been looking for him, but I haven't had any luck yet. Sorry."

Roxas' shoulders slumped again, "Oh.. Yeah, me neither."

"But, maybe if we put our heads together we can find him?" Xion offered.

"Great!" Roxas breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he'd met up with someone who knew about the Organization. Maybe if he pried a little more, he could get some information about Sora and the others too.

She was smiling sincerely now, "How about we meet again tomorrow morning after the storm's cleared up, on the clock tower? Just like we used-" She apparently stopped herself from saying any more.

"Alright. I'll meet you there at ten," Roxas smiled.

She nodded, "Until then, Roxas."

And just as suddenly as she came, Xion lifted her hood and disappeared in the rain.

* * *

 _Xion._

"Xion.." he mused aloud.

It was odd name, for sure. He would have remembered a name like that among the Organization. But, however much he tugged on his memories for scraps, he could not remember meeting anyone by that name, Organization or otherwise. He sighed.

"Back to square one," he tossed himself to bed that evening without bothering to remove his wet shoes. They dripped where his feet hung over the edge of the bed.

If Roxas remained in contact with anyone from the organization, or even within Sora's circle of friends, he could have easily asked for more information on the mysterious girl supposedly from Organization XIII. The lack of information on them posed an even further lack of information on her.

Roxas groaned. He was being kept in the dark again, just the same as he was in the Organization.

Sleeping that night proved to be especially hard. Roxas twisted and contorted in the comforter, creating his own cocoon.

The few dreams he did experience were naturally peppered with Xion and members of the organization.

 _"I know we've seen a lot of sunsets, but today's puts them all to shame._

 _If only things could stay like this forever..."_

 _"Say...what if we just took off?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"If we ran, I bet we could always be together."_

His own voice reverberated in his head when he woke up that morning. He looked over at his clock.

"9:55am.." He rattled off groggily.

"9:55am!" Roxas lept from bed and emerged from the closet fully clothed moments later. He ran out of the house sifting his hand through his messy hair as he darted through the empty streets towards the clock tower.

He climbed the steps two at a time and it seemed to take forever just to reach the top. He throw open the wide oak door and ran around the side of the clock until he reached its face. The sun was on the opposite side, making it seem darker here.

Roxas saw no signs of Xion.

He sighed, "Maybe it was a dream after all.."

He climbed on the ledge and swung his legs over the edge of the tower.

"It always was nicer here at dusk," A bell-toned voice chimed from behind him. Roxas wheeled around.

"You came," he smiled.

"You thought I wouldn't?"

Roxas shrugged.

"You may not remember me, but I like to keep my promises," Xion smiled.

 _You may forget me, but the memories themselves will never go away._

"So, I think I'm starting remember parts of you. But Xion, if you were in Organization XIII, why couldn't I remember you? I remember everyone else. I mean, I feel like I knew you but I don't know why."

She sighed and sat down next to him. "Roxas, I wasn't like the rest of the nobodies in the organization. Vexen created me and when I stopped existing, there was no longer a 'me' to remember. The only reason I exist at all is because of something Sora must have done."

"So, what exactly did Sora do?"

"I don't know."

Roxas groaned. He hated the very idea of calling his existence into question again. How could Sora have brought Xion back if there was no 'Xion' to bring back? If Roxas had a heart, did that mean Xion had one too? And something else still nagged in the back of his mind...

"What happened to the rest of us?" Roxas asked aloud.

Xion shrugged and knitted her brow, "I have no idea. You're the first member I've encountered since waking up about a month ago."

"How is that possible? I woke up three years ago! Why are you just now showing up?"

When Xion didn't answer, Roxas assumed the answer was obvious.

"Maybe we're all waking up at different times. But, why?"

"Hard to say, but Roxas, I think Axel is around here somewhere," she reached in her pocket and pulled out a thin, long chain with a keyring on the end. The little flame piece on the end was engraved with the name "Axel".

Roxas took it from her hand and examined it carefully. He beamed, "So he's awake too!"

Xion nodded, "and if he is, we have to find him! He might know more than we do."

"Right."

The breeze picked up and with her hair in her face, Xion lost her balance on the wall.

"A-Ah!"

"Hey! Careful!" Roxas grabbed both of her arms and pulled her in.

"Th-thanks," Xion blushed. Their faces were close now.

Roxas let go of her arms slowly and looked away, hiding his own embarrassment.

"Be more careful," he meant to sound annoyed, but the vocalization was much softer than he intended.

"Sorry," Xion grimaced.

"So, you and I, we were friends?"

"The best!" Xion beamed.

"The three of us used to sit up here after every mission and watch the sunset together."

"The...three of us?" Roxas felt puzzled. He remembered sitting there after every mission with Axel, but there was no one else.

"Yup! You, me, and Axel. You guys were my best friends!"

Roxas frowned, "But, I only remember doing that with Axel."

"Yeah...I know," Xion looked at her feet.

"But I _was_ there.."

"...I believe you."

He struggled to put her in those memories, but he knew there was definitely something missing. Perhaps she really was the missing piece.

"What...happened?"

Xion sighed, "You said you're starting to remember, right? I'll let it come back to you. It's a long story and I shouldn't overwhelm you with it all at once."

Feeling frustrated but defeated, Roxas gave in, "Alright."

"Let's meet here again tomorrow at the same time. I'll try and track down Axel until then."

"Okay, then I will do the same. We can regroup tomorrow."

"Yeah..." Xion stood up and shifted her weight, looking down.

When Roxas got up, he realized she was trying to find the right way to say goodbye.

 _Do we hug? Or wave? We are friends...right?_

He pulled her into a slightly awkward hug and for a moment caught a whiff of apricot.

 _Must be some kind of girly perfume, or something._

He found himself smiling a bit as they parted.

"See you."

"Yeah, see you later," Roxas watched as the mysterious girl let the large door shut behind her.

He turned to face the view of the town and shoved his fists in his pockets, wondering how he might start his search for Axel. He admitted it was hard to think of Axel now with Xion on the mind.

 _If we were best friends, why don't I remember anything about her?_

* * *

By the time it was seven, Roxas found himself standing under the ferris wheel with no new information dug up. His palms were starting to sweat and he shoved them in his jacket pockets.

 _What if I can't find anything out? Maybe she found something big. I hope so._

"Roxas?"

He looked up from his musings to find a concerned Olette.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," he waved her off.

"Better be!" Hayner threw an arm around his friend and grinned.

"We're about to have the time of our young lives!"

"Yeah yeah," Roxas chuckled. "So where are those pretzels at?"

"Glad you asked," Pence chimed in and handed out the other three pretzels.

"These are huge!" Olette beamed.

For the first time, Roxas got a good look at his friend Olette. She had carefully picked out a belted dress and matching cardigan. Her makeup was precise and he could smell her perfume from where he stood; it was obvious she'd spent a lot of time dolling up for a casual night out with friends. The breezes occasionally ruffled the edges of her dress, making Roxas blush. It was the shortest dress he'd ever seen on her.

"I see you staring. Pretty hot when she's not busy nagging us, right?" Pence whispered.

"Shut up and eat your damn pretzel," Roxas whispered back.

The rest of the evening they spent what little munny they had riding rides and playing midway games. While Hayner and Pence took one last ride on the Zipper, Roxas took the opportunity to talk alone with Olette.

"You look very...nice."

She seemed taken by surprise and took her eyes off of her friends' ride to look at Roxas directly.

"Thanks! So Roxas, what's going on in that head of yours? You don't seem like yourself lately."

 _Hit the nail on the head, as always._

"I've been having strange dreams and I met up with a friend yesterday, but I can't remember her. I feel bad, because we used to be close," He chose not to be specific with his life as a nobody. The less they knew of it, the better.

"Oh, I see. Roxas, you never mentioned any other close friends," She clutched the front of her dress a little tightly.

"I didn't really know I had any more either," he shrugged.

"Well, bring her by the spot sometime. Any friend of yours is a friend of ours."

"Thanks, Olette. I might just do that," Roxas smiled. She always seemed to find a way to cheer him up.

A moment of silence passed between them as they stared up at the ride, which was winding down now.

"Roxas?"

"Yeah?" He could hear a curious shake in her tone, as if she might cry.

"Do you really think...I look good? I mean, in an objective sense...would you be attracted to me?"

"Sure, I guess I would," he drawled, confused.

Olette kissed him on the cheek. Before Roxas could react, his two friends returned laughing and out of breath.

"Heey, wait a minute. Roxas...Why're you all red?" Pence smiled

Hayner looked between his two blushing friends and soured, "Whatever, let's get out of here before they start making out."

"Hayner!" Olette called. Hayner had already started walking away and Olette gave Roxas an apologetic look before following him.

"Hey Roxas..." Pence stopped him before Roxas could follow his friends.

"Do you know that guy over there? He's been staring at you a lot since we've been here. At first, I ignored it but I don't think it's a coincidence anymore," Pence pointed at a tall man with long blue hair. He had a peculiar scar on his head and was standing near one of the game stations.

"Yeah, I think I do. Go on ahead Pence, I'll catch up."

His friend raised a brow and sighed, but reluctantly gave in, "Just be careful, ok? He looks dangerous."

Roxas hurried towards the strange looking man.

 _It's Saix! It's gotta be!_

* * *

 **Please let me know how I'm doing. This fanfic is a struggle and is going in a different direction than originally planned, but in the long run should be more interesting. Thanks for reading!**


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